The Midnight Hour
by AUFaberry
Summary: Rachel Berry is a transfer student in a new city, but things in this city aren't as they seem. She wants to trust Quinn, but can she? Faberry Survival AU Femslash Fic. Quinn/Rachel Pairing! Based off of Persona 3.
1. The Dark Hour Approaches

The Midnight Hour

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creator of Glee and Persona 3.

Authors Note: This story is based on the storyline of Persona 3 a JRPG; it will closely follow the script only deviating in detail as well as romantic interest/added scenes. I hope that you all enjoy it still.

Pairing: Rachel/Quinn

Rating: M

Chapter 1

The Dark Hour Approaches

4/6/09 – Japan

_Time never waits._

_It delivers all equally to the same end._

_You, who wish to safeguard the future,_

_However limited it may be…_

_You will be given one year;_

_Go forth without falter,_

_With your heart as your guide…_

Today will be my first day in the new city, a new high school, and a new beginning. Already dressed in my school uniform, which consists of a white blouse with a pink button down oversized coat, a red tie around my neck, a short black skirt which reaches well above my knees, knee-high socks, flats, and a pink headband, I head into the train.

My knuckles turn white as I grip hard onto the handrail in the train, I have never been off on my own and I find myself growing exceedingly nervous. I am headed to my dormitory in order to get signed in and registered a room, classes start soon. As we pull up to the station I await a chance to file out of the train after the initial crowd of people, being a petite woman I do not wish to get trampled, and then finally I make my way out to the station. The first thing that I notice is just how late it has gotten, darkness surrounds me aside from the lights, and with a glanced toward the clock I take note that it is nearly midnight.

Walking the expanse of stairs I made my way out onto the street. The city is beautiful, the air perfectly chill, the moon large and full hanging over head as if held up on strings, providing light to the street. At the center of the city there is a giant clock that towers far above my head. My large brown eyes fixate on the clock as the hand strikes midnight.

Suddenly the lights in the tall city buildings all turned off, glancing up I watched as the street light above my head flickered letting off a buzzing noise before simmering down and dying. I was entirely shrouded in darkness and I was terrified. The only light that aided in my vision of the city was the large moon that remained hanging over my head, only it had changed to an ominous shade of green. I could feel the evil radiating from its light, now thoroughly convinced that it would fall and crush us all, although I knew it was not physically possible.

What I saw next caused my heart to pound violently against my ribcage, staring down the city street, lit up in a soft green light, I witnessed coffins where there had once been humans walking. I had had many nightmares that were similar to this, but this seemed beyond real. Forcing myself to breath I held my head up confidently and made my way toward my dormitory. The lights appeared to be on; walking the steps to the large front doors I cautiously pulled them open and made my way inside the building.

Immediately after entering I was approached by a young man. He looked more like an apparition. Large blue eyes, practically glowing. His skin a ghostly white, and his outfit hung from his slender body, a gray and white striped pair of what appeared to be pajamas. The way that he looked at me, was almost looking through me. His eyes lacked any pupils at all.

"You're late." He spoke in a high pitched voice. A haunting voice. His words confused me, yet I found them oddly familiar. "I've been waiting a long time for you."

His words further perplex me as I stare at him through long lashes, eyebrows knit together in confusion, biting down on my full bottom lip. Who was he, what was I late for? Lifting one of his dainty slender hands, he snapped his fingers. Suddenly a red notebook appeared on the check in desk to the right of us. My head snapped toward it, before glancing back into those suffocating blue pools.

"Now, if you want to proceed, please sign your name there."

"What is it?" I inquired, shuffling my feet together.

"It's a contract." He must have noticed the worry that crossed my face because he quickly elaborated. This was all too strange for me. "Don't worry; all that it says is that you will accept full responsibility for your actions. You know, the usual stuff."

Moving toward the contract I read through it thoroughly, it did appear to contain what I assumed any dormitory contract would, so lifting my pen I proceeded to sign the contract. Making certain to add a star to the end of my name. Stars were after all a metaphor for me one day achieving stardom. Smiling proudly at my signature I lifted the contract carrying it toward the young man, who had continued to stare at me the entire time.

Chuckling eerily he said. "No one can escape time. It delivers us all to the same end. You cannot plug your ears and cover your eyes." With that he took the contract from me and I watched in wonderment with large brown eyes as it once again disappeared in thin air. This had to be a mere dream correct? This was impossible.

"Excuse me, but what exactly do you mean by that?" I tried, but he ignored my question.

"And so it begins." He stated in a high-pitched sing song voice and with that he too disappeared. I blinked my eyes a few times to affirm that he was indeed gone.

Suddenly in my peripheral vision I spotted a young woman, I did not have enough time to notice many details though, as I watched her pull out a pistol. Screaming I attempted to duck, fearing that the young woman would attempt to shoot me. My friends had warned me against the dangers of the big city and going off alone to follow my dreams, but I would have never expected to die on my first night away.

"Santana, wait!" Someone growled out, a female by the sound of her voice. It was a beautiful yet intimidating voice.

Peeking through my fingers I glanced across the room at the two women. I noticed that the woman who was still holding the gun in a shaking hand appeared to have rather dark skin, beautiful eyes, and dark hair pulled up into a ponytail. She was wearing a similar uniform to me.

Yet, the woman who really caught my attention was the blonde standing beside her. I allowed my eyes to wander her form appreciatively, she was perfect. Every detail on her appeared to have been chiseled from a god himself, from her blemish free porcelain skin, her high cheekbones, beautiful shoulder length blonde hair, and her perfect posture, to her long legs and delightful form. She was stunning and I could not contain my staring. Still, as she entered the room I was jolted from my gawking as she spoke.

"I didn't think that you would arrive so late."

Quickly I stood to my feet wiping off my skirt in hopes to redeem my initial presentation. "I apologize for my late arrival, I am usually quite punctual, I just seem to have lost track of time."

Her face did not show any emotion as she introduced herself, it was nearly terrifying. It was also intriguing to me. "My name is Quinn Fabray. I am one of the students who live in this dorm."

"Who's the hobbit?" The other woman questioned after disarming herself. I watched her closely as she walked toward me, realizing that both of the women were quite taller than I myself.

"She's a transfer student." Quinn said with a glance of hazel eyes toward the other woman who did not look happy in the least. It appeared that she did not want anything to do with me. For the most part I was alright with this, although I did truly wish to make friends at the new school. When the blonde returned her attention to me I smiled brightly catching her eyes with my own. "This is Santana Lopez. She will be a junior this spring, just like you."

The Latina appeared uncomfortable as I glanced toward her. "…Hey."

"Hello there Santana, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Uh yeah… Nice ta meet you too."

"It's getting late, you should get some rest." The authoritative blonde informed, quickly taking control of the conversation again. "Your room is on the second floor, at the end of the hallway. Your things should already be there." As she finished her statement she nodded in Santana's direction.

"Oh, guess I'll show you the way midget." She rolled her eyes starting to walk toward the staircase. Realizing that I was not following her, she glanced over her shoulder catching my gaze. "Come on! I don't got all night."

Turning to Quinn I smiled brightly and nodded at her. "I bid you a good evening and I wish you the best of dreams, hopefully I will get to speak with you more tomorrow Miss Fabray." I said in a polite tone, hoping that I would not be too wordy or overbearing as I was often told that I was. She did not appear to smile but I could have sworn I saw a glimmer of something behind hazel eyes; it was more than likely my imagination though. Hastily I caught up with the other woman, making my way up the stairs after her.

We walked in complete silence until reaching the doorway to the room that I presumed would be mine. I had paid close attention to the directions not wanting to forget my way at a future date.

"This is it, pretty easy to remember, huh?"

"Yes, it is convenient to be located at the end of the hallway, although I doubt that I would have forgotten—"

"—anyway, don't lose your key, or you'll never hear the end of it. Any questions?" She interrupted me and I realized that this young woman was definitely one who dealt with any and all issues using hostility. Chewing on my full bottom lip, eyebrows knit together in thought, I tried to think of anything I should possibly ask about. Suddenly I recalled the oddity I encountered upon my arrival.

"Yes, actually, although I am certain it is merely standard procedure, I am curious about what exactly that contract I signed was for?"

"Huh? What contract?" Her voice held genuine confusion and this baffled me even further. Had she not also had to sign a dormitory contract? She should have, to reside in these quarters.

"The dormitory contract." When she still looked confused I pressed on in a more detailed manner. "There was a young man, with strange blue eyes if I do say so myself, he presented me with a contract upon my arrival. I was curious as to what I had signed."

"I didn't have to sign a contract when I got here. What did the guy look like?"

Now even further perplexed I answered. "Well, he was certainly a strange young man, he had short hair and piercing blue eyes, he was wearing striped pajamas and spoke in a sing song high-pitched voice. Does he live here perhaps?"

"No, I've never seen anyone like that 'round here. What are you talkin' about?" Her voice shook with something, was that fear?

"I am most certain that he was a young man, with a red contract—"

"—C'mon, this aint funny."

Sensing that she was genuinely worried I stopped the interrogation and persistence, perhaps she simply did not know who I was speaking about. "Very well I will stop; I apologize for my persistence on the matter I just found it quite odd is all. I am certain he was merely a resident at the dorm that you have not been acquainted with."

"Yeah, probably." For a moment she appeared uncertain as if she really wanted to ask me something. I patiently waited. "Um, can I ask you somethin'?"

"Most certainly." Smiling brightly I nodded.

"Well, on your way to the dorms from the station." Pausing brown eyes glanced away from mine hesitantly. "Was everything, like—okay?"

Internally I was debating; honestly I did not know how well I could trust the Latina. She did not appear to like me all too much and she may think me crazy if I tell her the truth. It did sound absurd after all. Instead I decided to dodge the question in hopes to understand why she had asked. Perhaps she had dealt with similar apparitions. "What do you mean?"

"You know what, I—Never mind. It seems like you're alright, I better get goin'." With that she had turned on her heels and started to walk away from me. Biting down on my lip I watched her go wondering what she could have possibly wanted to tell me. Wondering if she could have possibly understood what horror I had sustained. Sighing softly I shook my head and headed into my room.

Entering my bedroom I was shocked to find that my computer and television were already hooked up, my pink suitcases were stacked neatly beside my bed, which was made, and most of my other belongings were placed delicately and arranged. It appeared that Quinn had taken quite a bit of time to organize my things. _'She wasn't organizing your things Rachel… she probably had someone else do it.'_

A pout formed on my lips at this realization and with a glance toward the clock I realized just how late it was. Exhausted I fell down on the single bed and looked up at my ceiling, it was boring. Perhaps I would place my full size Barbra Streisand poster over my bed to remain inspired. Closing my eyes I hummed a soft tune as I drifted away into a deep sleep.

4/7/09 – Japan

I was startled from my slumber by a knocking sound at my door. One who was used to an early morning workout routine I quickly sat up in bed, brown eyes wide and alert, before throwing my covers and climbing out of my bed. Making my way toward my bedroom door in a hurry I twisted the handle opening the door, shocked to see Santana standing in front of me.

"Mornin Berry. Did you sleep alright?"

'_It appears that she now knows my name… although it is a bit rude not to address me on a first name basis…' _"Yes, I slept delightfully. I truly was exhausted last night." I said before pondering aloud, brows knit together. "What are you doing here, if I may ask?"

"Quinn was all worried about you and such, asked me to take you to school."

A light blush painted my cheeks and I could feel my body grow warm at this admittance. _'Quinn was worried about me heading to school alone? That is so sweet… although it is probably only because of how late I was last night, she probably does not want me to be late to class. Still, that is sweet of her…' _"That was sweet of her." I whispered under my breath.

"Yeah, whatevs. It's getting late, so are you ready to go or what?"

After informing her that I needed to get dressed she told me she would wait outside and then escort me to the school. Smiling brightly I nodded and returned to my room in order to put on my uniform. Glancing into the mirror brown eyes looked over my appearance and I grinned, I felt that I looked well enough for my first day. Bangs and hair brushed perfectly, clothing and headband in place. _'Perhaps Quinn will notice my appearance—Rachel, stop thinking this way.' _

Rushing back to the door I opened it. "Alright, I am prepared for my first day of classes."

Once again we had chosen to take the train; it appeared that it was the best means of transportation the city had to offer. It was fast and cost efficient whilst also having a stop at nearly every important spot in town. My heart was rapidly beating in my chest and I was finding it a little difficult to breathe, despite my natural confidence, I was still nervous due to it being my first day at the new school. I hoped that everyone would like me. People at my last school did not.

"There it is, our prison for the next year." Santana teased, nodding her head toward the window on the train.

My large brown eyes widened upon seeing the beautiful school, it was towering above all of the other buildings around it. The pathway toward the entrance was made of marble and there were gorgeous trees planted along the edges of the path. I could already tell that it would be more interesting than my last high school. "It is beautiful."

"It's alright I guess." She shrugged, obviously not as interested nor impressed by the learning establishment as I myself.

As the train came to a stop we both walked off of the vehicle. Standing in front of the large gates that protected the building, managed to put into scale just how large it actually was. It was magnificent. Santana laughed a little. "You act like ya' never seen a building before hobbit."

"It is just a little overwhelming is all." I muttered out.

"You're okay from here, right? You should probably go see your homeroom teacher first. Oh and about last night—" She paused and this caught my attention, my eyes catching hers. They held that same worry that they had the previous evening. "—Don't tell anyone what you saw, okay? See ya later." With that she rushed off leaving me stunned by her words. Had she just implied that she too had seen the same apparitions, that she had seen the humans encased in coffins and time freeze?

Trying not to overthink and analyze this newfound data I made my way through the gates, entering the school. The first thing that I noticed was a group of kids crowded around the bulletin board, what appeared to be a small school store, a set of many lockers, and two separate doors that undoubtedly lead to certain classrooms.

Noticing a map I moved toward it allowing my brown eyes to search for the correct direction, seeing the words 'Faculty Office' a full-lipped smile spread across my face and I lifted my head confidently starting off in that direction.

Finding the door labeled 'Faculty Office' I pulled on the handle opening the door and heading inside. Immediately, I was met by a young female instructor. She had red hair and large brown eyes; she did not look over the age of thirty-five. When the instructor looked up at me and smiled I returned the gesture.

"Oh, um. Are you the new student?"

"Yes, I am."

"Rachel Berry, eleventh grade, correct? Wow um, it says here that you have lived in a lot of different places—uh let's see. In 1999, that was what, ten years ago? Your parents—" As she continued to read my records her eyes widened and she quickly looked up at me, obviously feeling terrible. Honestly, it still did hurt me, but I had learnt to suppress it well. I had known and loved my parents but my adoptive parents had been amazing. "I am so sorry, I-I've been so um, so busy, I didn't have time to read this beforehand."

Smiling softly at her concern I tried to ease her. "It is perfectly alright, I have come to terms with what happened ten years ago."

With a forced smile and a look of understanding she introduced herself. "I am Miss Pillsbury, I teach Composition. Welcome to our school."

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance Miss Pillsbury, I am very enthused to be attending such a widely proclaimed, and quite beautiful establishment." I said with a bright smile on my face and excitement in my voice. It was true; it had been one of the loveliest schools I had yet to attend.

"Wow, such enthusiasm!" She said with an equally bright smile, I felt accomplished by the fact that I had managed to lift her mood. What I hated more than the actual pain of losing my parents was the overwhelming pity that I seemed to carry along with me throughout life. People always felt inclined to tell me that they were sorry, when I knew that they could not understand. That it was not their fault. "Have you seen the classroom assignments? You're in 2-F; that's my class."

Pausing, she stood from her seated position. "But first, we need to go to the auditorium. The Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon. Follow me." She waved her hand awkwardly; I noticed that she appeared to have some strange mannerisms.

She lead me to the auditorium where there appeared to be an older, dark skinned man standing at the podium, I assumed that he was the principal of the school. Miss Pillsbury gave me a smile and told me to be seated with my class, so with a nod and a goodbye I headed toward the group of students, taking a seat with them. I stared at the man in the suite awaiting his speech.

Finally as the room settled he began speaking, I noted that he had an accent. "As you begin the new school year, I'd like each of you to remember the proverb, "If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well."

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

Looking toward the clock, I realized that homeroom was just about to wrap up. I awaited our dismissal before packing my shoulder bag with my books and homework. Standing to my feet, I started toward the door. A voice halted me in my tracks.

"S'up dude? How's it goin'?"

Not only was I shocked by his usage of the word dude to describe me, I was also shocked by the fact that he had started a conversation with me. I had made no attempt to get to know anyone my first day.

Turning on my heels my brown eyes widened a little as I was met with the sight of what appeared to be a "troublemaker" student. His hair was shaved off on both sides, giving him a popular Mohawk haircut. He was wearing a black t-shirt with a skull on it and some obscure rock band with backwards letters, which made it difficult to read, tight torn up gray skinny jeans and some converse. _'Who is he and why is he talking to me?'_

"Excuse me, but are you speaking to me?" I questioned cautiously.

"Yeah, who else would I be talkin' to?"

"Perhaps I was thrown by the usage of the word dude, which most would associate with a male friend not a friend of the female gender, which I very much am." When he gave me a look of annoyance I quickly continued on with what I wanted to know. "I apologize, that was rude. What is your name?"

"I'm Noah Puckerman, but you can call me puck. Nice to meet ya."

"I am Rachel Berry. Nice to meet you as well, Noah." I purposefully used his first name; I was not a fan of nicknames. Luckily, he did not seem to mind in the least.

Laughing a little he tucked his hands into his jean pockets, and for the first time I wondered why he was not wearing the regulated school uniform. Perhaps it would be stereotyping, but I assumed it went with the "troublemaker" attitude. Against the man and his restrictions, and all. "I transferred here when I was in the eighth grade so I know how tough it is bein' the new kid, building your rep and such. So I just wanted to say "hey."

With a smile I thanked him before noticing Santana out of the corner of my eye. She was approaching us, and she looked a little upset.

"Hey there Santana." He said with a smirk that definitely implied something inappropriate. I blushed softly at the blatant flirting that he was partaking in. "I didn't think we'd be in the same class again; guess I may have to actually come to class."

Santana let out a sigh and rolled her eyes at him. "At it again, huh? I swear, you'll talk to anyone if they'll listen. Did you ever think that you might be bothering Berry?"

"What? But, I was just bein' friendly." Puck defended raising his hands.

"Honestly, he was not bothering me in the slightest." I intervened, earning a grin from the young man and a scowl from the Latina. She truly did not like the thought of him and I conversing, it appeared. Why was she being so protective?

"Yeah, whatevs." She shot him another glare before turning her attention to me. "Anyway, looks like we're in the same homeroom."

"A pleasant coincidence, it should be nice to share homeroom with someone I already have been acquainted with." I flashed her a full-lipped, show smile. It was the truth, I had been worried that I would not make any friends in my dormitory or at my school, and now I had made one who shared both with me.

"Um, hello? Are you forgetting that I'm in this class too? By the way, I heard that you two came to school together this morning. I know that you lean toward lady lovin' San, but what about you Berry, you and San got something going on?"

Trying to force away the blush that covered my cheeks, wide eyes glanced toward the other woman. _'She is interested in women… what if her and Quinn… no. Even if they were together it would not matter, Quinn doesn't like me.' _

"I'll take your silence as a yes then." He waggled his eyebrows at me.

"Um, n-no." Honestly, I did not know if I were interested in women, I found them attractive, but I had never dated anyone. I hadn't even had my first kiss, so it was fairly difficult to know for sure.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

Quinn licked her long, slender fingers before flipping the page of her book, hazel eyes once again fixated on the content, reading over it quickly. She excelled in most academics, and she really enjoyed reading. It was fascinating all that you could learn by merely mixing letters of the alphabet. Still, despite her efficient reading-level, she found herself re-reading sentences as her mind wandered to a place that it rarely wandered, a place that she did not wish for it to go.

She found herself thinking about Rachel Berry, the transfer student now staying in the same dormitory as her. Rachel was different than most that she encountered; she wore her heart on her sleeve, her emotions on her face, and had a naturally positive aura. Also when compared to Puck or Santana, her vocabulary was at a much higher level. Aside from all of these strange features, she was also beautiful. Captivating, even.

The blonde had found herself watching the new student numerous times throughout the day. When she passed her in the hallway at school, or witnessed her in the lobby of the dormitory. She was difficult to miss. At least difficult for Quinn to miss.

A soft blush covered her pale high cheekbones, as she thought about the other. That long dark hair that looked undeniably soft, those large brown eyes, long lashes, full lips, naturally tan skin, and those incredibly long toned legs, that were for the most part exposed at all times. Letting out a sigh she tried to force her mind from wandering to inappropriate places, to what it would be like to trail her nails from that perfect knee over those thighs. "Stop it." She ridiculed aloud.

"Talking to yourself?" A voice interrupted her train of thought, and Quinn quickly turned to look at the young man she recognized.

His name was Sam Evans; he was one of the others that was staying at the dormitory, and one of her closest friends. "Of course not." She stated in a monotone voice. Slightly annoyed by his teasing, she hated being teased.

"Whatever you say, I'm going out for a bit." He flashed her a full-lipped lopsided smile before lifting a gloved hand stroking it through his messy blonde hair.

"Hm?" Quinn hummed, curiously.

"Didn't you see the news? There's a lot going on."

Biting down on her bottom lip, hazel eyes glanced around the lobby to make certain no one else was around. Namely, Rachel. When she felt safe she responded in a low raspy voice. "I know. People who had no problems before are suddenly developing acute cases of Apathy Syndrome. I've seen it on the news quite often lately. They say it's due to stress, but—"

"—Yeah, right." Sam laughed humorlessly. "It has to be them."

Quinn let out a soft sigh, catching his green eyes with her own. Worried. "You have a one-track mind. Will you be okay on your own? The Chairman will be here for the next few days, but after that, I can—"

"Don't worry. I'm just getting a little practice." As always his over-confidence was his downfall. Sam had a tendency to think that he was strong enough to handle anything that anyone threw his way, but he was still a human. Time and time again, she had tried to make him see how important his life was, but he continued to be irrational.

As he made his leave Quinn muttered to herself. "This isn't a game, Sam…"

4/8/09 – Japan

As I made my way back toward the dorm, I noticed some girls from my school walking in the same direction. I had chosen to walk today because it had been such a beautiful day and I felt that I had been neglecting my exorcise routine. Ever since arriving at the new city I had not awoken early nor had I taken a jog. It was discouraging, so I had figured a nice walk would do my body good.

A naturally curious person I couldn't help but overhear what the others were talking about.

One girl asked the other. "Did you hear the rumor?"

"Oh, um… something about… a bathroom?"

"N-no! Not that one!" For a moment I furrowed my eyebrows wondering what the "bathroom rumor" consisted of, it sounded intriguing. When the other girl continued with her explanation I listened intently. "I mean the one about the first-year student! Not only did she stop coming to school, she does nothing but sit and stare at the walls all day. If her mother tries to talk to her, she only mutters to herself, "It's coming… It's coming…"

"Huh. How about that."

"You don't believe me?"

That was all I heard as they turned down the opposite street and I reached my dormitory, chewing on my cheeks I tried to make sense of what she had said. Perhaps the young woman was merely insane, but it sounded as if she had been perfectly normal at one point. Climbing the steps to my dorm, I opened the main doors heading inside. My brown eyes immediately fixed on Santana who was sitting in one of the lobby chairs talking with an older looking man with curly hair.

"Oh, she is back." Santana stated, looking up at me. _'They had been waiting for me… who is this man?'_

"So, this is our new guest…" He said as both he and the young woman stood up. I was growing more and more uncomfortable by the moment, not to mention slightly fearful.

He smiled at me as he spoke. "Good evening. My name is Will Schuester. I am the Chairman of the Board for your school." I noticed that he seemed to be a genuinely nice individual, so I allowed myself to relax. "Please, have a seat." I followed him to the seating area of the lobby and took a seat across from him and next to Santana.

"I hope that you are growing comfortable at the school and in your new room. Is there anything that you'd like to ask?"

"I am a bit curious as to why you are here?"

"To welcome you, of course." His lips curled at the sides and his eyes shimmered, despite my hesitation it was difficult to remain paranoid about this man. He seemed too nice. "Well, to be honest, I do have other business here. Speaking of which, where's Quinn, Santana?"

As he spoke Quinn's name, my interest grew immensely. I wondered what he could possibly want with the blonde, what could his business with her be?

"She's upstairs." Santana said.

Will laughed, shaking his head. "As diligent as always. Although, it doesn't hurt to come down stairs and say hello." Turning his attention back to me he asked. "Is there anything else?"

I allowed my curiosity to get the best of me and decided to ask him whatever questions I had; honestly I was confused about many things since my arrival at the school. "Who else lives in this dormitory, if I may ask? I would not wish to invade on anyone's privacy; I simply have not seen many other students around, and am merely curious."

"There are only four students in this dorm: You, Santana here, Quinn, and a senior named Sam Evans. I hope you all get along." Nodding I thought over his answer, was it odd to only have four people living in a dormitory. I had heard stories from my older friends back home that they held parties and events in their dorms. This was definitely strange.

"The other night, the night of my arrival, I witnessed strange apparitions—"

"—You saw something strange?" He asked, immediately tensing, which caused my paranoia to return full-force. "Like what? You were probably just tired from your trip, you shouldn't worry about it."

I caught Santana's eyes, and they were very telling. She knew more than she was letting on, Will was hiding something from me. He knew what I saw. Still I did not press any further, when he asked if I had another question I quickly declined. There was honestly no point to further interrogate the man, he would not be telling me the truth anytime in the near future.

With a smile he stood to his feet, nodding. "Then, I hope you have a successful school year. Now, if you'll excuse me. You must be tired from all of the excitement. You should go to bed early. As they say, "The early bird catches the bookworm!" Please forgive my bad pun." He chucked under his breath before making his way toward the stairs. I felt myself grow defensive, knowing that this suspicious man was heading up to talk with Quinn.

"You'll get used to his lame jokes." Santana said with a shrug as she leant back in her chair, obviously feeling more comfortable now that the man was gone.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

Quinn was surrounded by computers, monitors that showed her all areas of the city as well as the dormitory. Her arms crossed over her chest, hazel eyes scanned over each and every one, searching them. Santana was standing behind her and Will to the right side of her, looking over the monitors as well.

"Working hard?"

The blonde nodded, staring at one of the monitors. The monitor that was set up in Rachel's room. It made her feel guilty, invading the young woman's privacy, but it was necessary in order to watch her progress.

"How is she doing?

Quinn never took her eyes off of the sleeping beauty. "She went to bed a little while ago. She's asleep now. Mr. Schuester, do you think that she is—"

"—Well, let's just wait and see for now. The dark hour is approaching."

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

Authors Note

I would really appreciate it if you leave me a review to encourage me if you like the story, because I am unsure if it is good or not.

Thank you.


	2. Persona

The Midnight Hour

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creator of Glee and Persona 3.

Authors Note: This story is based on the storyline of Persona 3 a JRPG; it will closely follow the script only deviating in detail as well as romantic interest/added scenes. I hope that you all enjoy it still.

Pairing: Rachel/Quinn

Rating: M

Chapter 2

Persona

"Hmm… She is still sleeping." Will observed, watching Rachel on the monitor. "The Dark Hour occurs at midnight. During this time, an ordinary person transmogrifies into a coffin, and is oblivious to all that occurs."

"Then, she must be—" Santana started.

Quinn's hazel eyes watched as the beautiful girl rolled over snuggling up with her stuffed monkey, she looked adorable in her pink pajamas with hearts on them. _'I cannot keep looking at her this way… it is wrong of me…' _A soft smile attempted to form on her lips as she watched the brunette's eyebrows knit together and her full lips pout as she squeezed the stuffed animal tightly. _'Lucky stuffed doll…'_

"As you can see, she's retained her human form. She's asleep, but yes, she's definitely experiencing the dark hour." He said leaning in to look closer at the monitor. "The only question that remains is whether or not she has the potential. Although she must. If she didn't, they would have preyed on her by now."

Pulling away from the monitor, Will continued. "In any case, we should continue to monitor her for a few more days."

"Yes, sir." Quinn said, a little too adamantly. Was it wrong of her to enjoy watching Rachel? Yes, it was, she knew that it was.

"A little eager to spy on Berry are we?"

"What?" The blonde growled out vehemently. "Absolutely not, don't be ridiculous San." Her body shook due to anger, but mostly she was upset because what the other woman had said was correct. She liked feeling as though she was a part of Rachel's life, even if it had only been a few days and she was only watching her on a monitor. _'This is definitely not healthy behavior…'_

"I don't think I'm the one being ridiculous here, just go up and talk to the girl if you like her, stop being a fucking creeper who gets her jollies watching the poor girl sleep."

"You don't know what you are talking about."

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

I could tell that I was once again dreaming. My entire lifetime I had always had the most vivid dreams. As I walked through the white emptiness my brown eyes landed on a random door. It was a beautiful shade of purple with extravagant carvings and gold embellishment adorning the exterior. Curiously, I wondered what was inside and cautiously approached it. Being careful, knowing that these dreams had the tendency of flipping to darkness and death in mere seconds.

Just as I was reaching for the handle, the door opened itself. Revealing a room with a man sitting at a table and a woman standing next to the table. Before looking them over I allowed my gaze to roam the room itself. All of the walls were a deep shade of blue, as was most of the furniture. The lights in the ceiling were also a shade of blue that emitted an ominous glow throughout the room. Behind the man at the table, there was a wall that consisted of chains, moving upward as if they were lifting an elevator. In the center of the wall of chains was a large silver clock, that appeared to have a blue glow under the lights, the hands were spinning quickly around in circles nonsensically.

Finally I allowed my attention to land on the other people in the room. The man seated at the table had a long and slender form. He was wearing a suit, and he hand his hands closed over each other, nearly maniacally. His eyes were a shade of blue, and he wore a devious smirk on his face. The woman standing to the side of him looked more like a robot with how she moved. She was blonde and wearing a blue hat with a matching blue dress and long blue boots and gloves.

"Take a seat." The man said, and for whatever reason I listened to him. Moving to the chair on the opposite side of the table I sat down. Sometimes I felt that these dreams I had, controlled me more than I controlled them.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear."

Knitting my eyebrows together in confusion I looked around the room. Honestly, he did not make me feel all too welcome. Perhaps it was his voice and that deceptive grin that he wore.

"My name is Sebastian." He called my attention back to him and quickly my head snapped back. "I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This is Holly. She is a resident here, like myself."

"Pleased to meet you."

"I am rather confused, what is this place? And what do you mean when you say that you are a resident here?" I asked.

His smile stretched even further across his face, it did not seem physically possible. Then again, this was a dream. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. This is our home. It has been years since we have had a guest over." Mulling over his answer I quickly came to the conclusion that it did not answer much of anything at all; he had basically told me what I already knew.

Lifting one of his slender hands he twisted it and my eyes widened as a familiar red book appeared out of thin air, it was the same book that I had signed in reality. The contract. How had he gotten ahold of it. _'This is a dream Rachel, do not be irrational. He knows about the contract because it has been worrying you, and this is your subconscious.' _

"Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place." Sebastian said, opening the red book and looking down at my signed name. I was completely confused at this point. I still did not know what this place was nor did I understand why my dormitory contract was relevant.

"Henceforth, you shall be welcome here in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so. I only ask one thing in return, and that is that you abide by the contract and assume responsibility for the choices that you make."

"I understand the importance of being held accountable for my actions and I do plan to abide by that, but I still do not understand what my dormitory contract has to do with this room. This is a dream correct?" He laughed, shaking his head at me and it frustrated me even further. Was he making fun of me?

"Precisely… You are fast asleep in the real world as we speak. This visit of yours is merely a dream. However, you will come here of your own accord, sooner or later."

His voice and words were eerie, haunting, and caused my stomach to flip. Once again I watched as the contract disappeared and instead he held a key in his hand. Reaching across the table he handed it to me, but I did not take it. I only stared down at it with terrified large brown eyes.

"Hold on to this…"

Once again I felt my body moving without my accord and I had taken the key. Perhaps, subconsciously, I was a little worried that his words could hold truth. That I could need his help in the future.

"Until we meet again." His smile once again stretched across his face and with that he was gone.

4/9/09 – Japan

Walking the distance toward the school gate I could not help but feel uneasy, I felt sick to my stomach. This morning when I had awoken I had vomited, but determined to have perfect attendance and keep my grade point average up I had refused to miss school. My mind was lost somewhere else today though, continuously I tried to recall the dream that I had had the night before, but I couldn't.

"What's up, dude?" I heard from behind me and shook my head letting out a sigh, despite my annoyance I did smile. It was nice having friends at this school.

Without looking back at him I spoke, pointedly. "I must once again ask you to stop referring to me as a "dude" Noah."

"You like chicks right?"

"Seeing that I am vegan I am not overtly fond of eating chicken, although I do think that they are cute. Particularly at that age." I teased, knowing very well that he was referencing to the female gender as "chicks."

"No, I mean that you like lovin' on the ladies." He countered, as he finally caught up to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I glared up at him, pouting a little, but did not push his arm away. "That's what I thought, totally makes you a dude in my mind."

Lightly I pushed his side, but I never defended myself. I did not know if I was interested in women, currently I couldn't get my mind off of a certain blonde. So perhaps I was a "dude" after all. "You appear to be full of energy today."

He smiled brightly. "Of course! Dude, I just heard the best news. Listen to this—" Suddenly he cut himself off mid-sentence, just as I was growing interested. "—Oh, wait! I'm not supposed to say anything." He laughed. "Sorry."

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

"…How is she?" Will questioned as he walked into the monitor room, Quinn was standing directly in front of the monitor watching Rachel as she slept, whilst Santana was leaning back in one of the chairs in the room. She did not look nearly as interested as the blonde.

Glancing over her shoulder she caught his eyes with hazel. "The same as last night."

Moving closer to her, they both turned their attention to the monitor. "Hmm… Very interesting. Even those who have the potential to be powerful, tend to be unstable at first. Memory loss, disorientation, but this subject is rather unique."

Quinn felt herself tense irrationally at the usage of the word "subject." She did not like thinking about Rachel as a "subject" to be studied in a lab. The sleeping beauty was a human, with feelings. _'Father would be so disappointed to know that I am thinking like this… I am never to let personal feelings interfere with a mission. Besides, I hardly know anything about her.' _

"So, when are we gonna stop treating the hobbit like a guinea pig?"

Again her body tensed, she was curious as well.

"I don't really have an answer to that question; I guess we'll study her for as long as it takes." Will said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Just seems a little messed up is all."

"I understand your concern, but it is imperative that we recruit new members. I heard she's your classmate. Wouldn't you be more comfortable working with someone from the same grade?" He asked Santana.

She thought it over. It was true; all of the other members were older than her. It would be nice to have Rachel on the team. "Yeah, I guess, but still—"

Her sentence was interrupted by a beeping sound on the panel.

Pressing a button on her headset Quinn spoke into the transceiver. "Command room. Is that you, Sam?"

"You're not gonna believe this! This thing is huge! I don't have time to talk—" He paused in order to breath. "—it's chasing me… I wanted to let you guys know. I'm almost there!"

"What the hell?" Santana shouted jumping out of her seat, hand landing on the gun that was hidden beneath her skirt. "He's bringing that thing here?"

"Mr. Schuester! Let's suspend our observation for now, we must prepare for battle." Quinn stated, trying to remain calm despite her own nerves. She was a leader, and if she looked nervous than it would cause the rest of her team to worry. Still, she could not believe that Sam would lead it back to their headquarters, especially with Rachel here. _'I cannot let her get hurt…' _

"Right. Be careful." Will said nodding at them.

They both rushed down the stairs just in time to see Sam burst through the front door, slumping down to the ground holding onto his arm. Obviously, the monster had gotten in a blow or two. Quinn and Santana rushed up to him.

"Sam!" Quinn shouted out.

"I'm alright. Get ready to be surprised, it'll be here any second." He said struggling back to his feet, still holding his injured arm. His blonde hair was a mess and he had a rather large cut across the side of his face, but he appeared to be telling the truth. He would live.

"It's one of them, Sam?" Will asked, approaching the group.

"Yeah, but it isn't an ordinary one—" Suddenly the ground started to shake, causing them all to stumble. Sam nearly fell back to the ground, but managed to catch his footing.

Santana looked toward the front door, fear evident across her face, but her confidence and ego attempted to cover it. "What the hell? You've got to be kidding me! Well if this thing wants a fight than I'll give it one."

Quinn pulled out a gun. "Mr. Schuester, please head for the command room! Santana, go upstairs and wake her up. Then, escape out the back."

The Latina nodded her head before starting toward the stairs; she was quickly stopped by the other woman though, as she grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Terrifying hazel eyes glaring into dark brown. "Don't let any harm come to her."

Rolling her eyes Santana yanked her hand away. "Don't worry about it Q, I won't let any harm come to your little girlfriend." With that she rushed up the staircase.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

Startled from my sleep, I yelped out and gripped ahold of my sheets as my bed shook. I was horrified, at one moment I had been in a deep sleep and the next I was being shaken out of it. At first I had thought it were an earthquake, until I heard a commotion coming from downstairs and someone plodding down the hallway.

Just as I managed to climb out of bed, Santana slammed my door open. Causing me to once again jump and let out a loud yelp of surprise.

"I don't got time to explain Berry, but we have to get out of here!"

Too startled, I did not move right away and this frustrated the other woman. Moving across the room she grabbed ahold of my arm and proceeded to drag me out of the room. When I finally found my voice I frantically asked. "What's going on Santana?"

"Look, I don't got time to explain. Just shut up and come on."

This silenced me. Nodding I allowed her to pull me down the stairs. "We'll leave through the back door, but you should probably take this just in case." With that she handed me a short sword, I had not even noticed she was holding it when she grabbed me. Probably because I had been terrified and too confused to think much of anything. Glancing down at the sword I cautiously took it, not really knowing how to wield the weapon. It would probably serve to be more of a hindrance in a battle.

"Okay, let's go!" Santana shouted leading me toward the back door, which we escaped out of. Once outside she let go of my arm and let out a breath of relief. "Alright, we should be safe—"

"—Santana, do you read me?" Quinn's frantic voice asked through the transceiver.

"Yeah, I read you Q." She responded, leaving me to just stand and watch her with confusion written across my face. What was going on? What had that shaking been, and why had she given me a sword? Brown eyes cast downward at the blade.

"Be careful! There is more than one enemy! The one that we are fighting isn't even the one Sam saw!"

"What?" Santana asked frantically.

"Just protect Rachel, at all costs." Quinn stated sternly before signing off. I could not help but feel a bit happy, despite the current situation, knowing that the beautiful blonde wanted to keep me protected. It made me feel special, not often did people make me feel that way. All happiness was quickly washed away though as there was a loud pounding on the back door, something was trying to break through.

We backed away from the door, but it was to no avail. The creature busted through the door easily. My eyes widened and my mouth fell open, I almost dropped the sword before gripping it tightly in my hand. In front of us was a very large, disgusting looking, multi-limbed creature holding a mask in one of his hands, whilst his other hands all held blades.

"What is that thing?" I practically screamed at Santana.

"We call them Shadows." With that she pulled out a gun from beneath her skirt and I was further terrified as I watched her lifting it to her head.

"What are you doing?" This time I did scream, closing my eyes tightly as she pulled the trigger shooting herself in the head. I had never witnessed someone kill themself in front of me, and although the situation did seem dyer, I had not expected her to take that escape. I could no longer find my breath as I awaited my end. When nothing happened I opened my eyes watching as the monster knocked the gun out of Santana's hand, she was not dead and that was a relief, although I did not understand it. My eyes focused on the gun as it slid toward me, stopping as it hit my feet.

Suddenly everything was shrouded in darkness and I saw the young man with the horrifying blue eyes and striped pajamas. The one who had asked me to sign the contract. In that high-pitched sing-song voice he stated. "Go on… Go on…"

I no longer felt that I had control over my body, it were as if I was possessed. Kneeling down I picked up the pistol at my feet, wielding it perfectly, despite never having held one in my lifetime. I was staring through my eyes, helplessly watching a tragic scene unfold. Lifting the gun to my temple, I hesitated, but then I pulled the trigger.

"Persona!" I shouted out, not understanding why I said it. As I shot myself a creature sprouted from me, hovering above me. He had a robotic body, blue skin, red glowing eyes, and white hair.

The creature hovering above me spoke. "Thou art I, and I am thou. From the sea of the soul I cometh. I am Orpheus, master of strings…" After making this announcement he started to convulse, until he was ripped apart, an even larger creature climbing out from within him. This huge creature lunged at the Shadow, cutting it in half with its blade. As the Shadow began to split apart, the creature grabbed a tendril of it and squeezed it into nothingness. Once the Shadow was gone he morphed back into Orpheus.

My body suddenly felt light as Orpheus disappeared. Letting out a breath, I returned to normal.

"Is it over?" Santana asked from beside me, as if I knew the answer to that question. I had no clue what was going on, and I had a feeling that she knew more than she let on.

Suddenly three smaller shadows made their way out the back door, creeping toward me and Santana. Feeling more confident in myself, I gripped ahold of the short sword moving toward them, managing to kill them all before everything went black.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

Through the darkness I spotted a familiar purple door, the same one with the gold embellishments. I could feel a sudden weight in my hand. It was lighter than the sword had been. Lifting my hand and opening it I saw that it was the key. Approaching the door I used the key in order to unlock the door and headed inside.

I was met again with the blue room, Sebastian and Holly were both in the same places they had been the last time. Moving inside I instinctively took a seat across from him. _'Am I dead…? No, I don't think so, I can recall winning. Maybe I passed out and this is yet again a dream? Although, reality did seem like a dream as well! This is so confusing.'_

"It's so nice to see you again." He said with a grin. "You became unconscious after awakening to your power. It is nothing to worry about, though. So just relax."

Even if I did not trust him, his words did relax me a bit. At least I knew that I was not dead.

"By the way. I see that it was Orpheus that heeded your calling."

Furrowing my brow I pursed my lips, trying my hardest to recall what had happened. I could remember that there was a creature that had appeared when I shot myself. "Yes, he announced himself as Orpheus I believe."

Sebastian laughed a little, shaking his head at me. "That is not a "he" dear, it is called a Persona. It is a manifestation of your psyche."

This confused me even further. I had conjured this creature and he represented my own psychological state? He was me? "What do you mean; he is a manifestation of my psyche? He and I are one in the same?"

"It may take some time to fully comprehend. A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli… You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships."

"I think that I can sort of understand that." I muttered out. I did understand the concept, but it did not seem possible. I was truly beginning to think that I was going insane, this sounded like a form of multiple-personality disorder or schizophrenia. Not knowing what reality was and what was fake, different personalities manifesting themselves.

"That being said, your power is still weak." Sebastian said.

"What do you mean that my power is weak? I witnessed Orpheus take down a rather large beast, it did not appear all too weak to me."

"When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength. This ability revolves around your own physical strength as well as your Social Links."

"Social links?"

"Your emotional ties with others. The stronger your Social Links the more powerful your Persona ability. Please remember that."

I nodded my head, even though I did not comprehend the comparison. It made perfect sense to have to be physically fit myself, which I was, but to also have to be popular in order to help my Persona's powers seemed ridiculous.

Sebastian looked at me curiously, catching my eyes with his own. "Now, then… Time marches on in your world. I shouldn't keep you here any longer. Next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord. Until then, Farewell."

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

Authors Note:

Apparently, I had on no Anonymous Reviews without knowing it. Now everyone is free to review whether they have an account or not.

Please do leave me some encouragement; I haven't gotten many reviews yet. If you want me to continue or if you want longer chapters, leave some reviews and I will make sure to get the next chapter out quickly!

Thank you to everyone reading.


	3. Your True Power

The Midnight Hour

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creator of Glee and Persona 3.

Authors Note: Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me! I do recommend this game and any games from the Persona series to anyone who enjoys Playstation and RPG's. If you are going to play this game though this fic has major spoilers!

Pairing: Rachel/Quinn

Rating: M

Chapter 3

Your True Power

4/17/09 –Japan

'_Thud' 'Thud' 'Thud.'_ With each pound of my heart my head ached. I could hear it pounding, but I could not open my eyes. My lids were too heavy. I tried to recall what had happened to me. I remembered that I had been woken up in the middle of the night, dragged out of the dormitory, thrown into a battle in which a monster spawned from me, and then knocked unconscious. The last thing that I recalled was being in the blue room from my dream, The Velvet Room.

Finally, I managed to will my eyes open. Blinking them a few times in order to regain full mobility of them. Turning my head just slightly I could see Santana at my bedside.

"You're awake! Finally, it's been a whole week, how much sleep do you need Berry?" She asked, with a bright smile and some laughter.

I flashed her a smile.

"How do you feel?" She asked, quickly standing up and moving closer to me.

"I-I feel alright. My head hurts quite a bit." I muttered out softly under my breath. Glancing to the side my eyes landed on the tubes hooked up to my arm. "Where am I?"

Santana smiled; if I didn't know better I would have assumed that I saw genuine care and concern written across her face. She had never seemed overtly fond of me. "This is Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. It's just a short walk from the station."

I accepted the answer allowing my eyes to close once more. "Am I going to be alright? I need to get back to school as soon as possible, in order to catch up on my studies, and—"

"—Seriously, you need to Chill, you could've died." This served to silence me, it was true. I should not be in such a hurry to get back to the busy life, when I could very easily have lost it completely. When I gave her a soft nod she smiled and shook her head at me. "The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with you. He said you were just exhausted. But, you just kept sleeping and sleeping, you even had me worried."

"Really, you were worried about me Santana?"

"Not as worried as some, Q has been going crazy the last week. When she wasn't visiting you to see how you were doing, she was grilling me for putting you in that bed."

Cocking my head to the side as much as possible in the hospital bed, I gave her a look of disbelief. She did not think that this was somehow her fault, did she? "You cannot blame yourself for my current health; this is in no way your fault." I stated assuredly, but she still did not appear assured by my words as she rolled her brown eyes at me.

"Yeah, except it is my entire fault Berry. Quinn gave me specific orders to protect you, and what did I do? I stood by and watched you fight. Hell even if I had tried, I couldn't have fought like you. You've got some mad skills."

A light blush covered my cheeks at her compliments. I liked feeling accomplished, and I liked feeling that I was the best at something. If I tried to do something, I tried to do it to the best of my ability, no matter what it was. So, to know that I was a better fighter than her did give me a sense of pride, especially considering that I had little experience. Suddenly her words from earlier really sank in and I caught her eyes. "Wait, did you say that Quinn came and visited me in the hospital frequently over the duration of the last week?"

"Yeah, that girl really seems to appreciate watching you sleep." Santana stated bluntly, I did not quite understand what it meant, but it did cause my body to heat up further and my blush to undoubtedly intensify.

"I cannot believe that she would visit me, I did not even think that she remembered my name honestly." When I realized that I had been speaking out loud, I quickly silenced my thought process. I would take some time to truly think over what her visiting meant at a later time period. Perhaps I would even confront her about it. As I looked up at Santana I noticed that she was wearing a devious all-knowing smirk, and she had a raised eyebrow.

"Aint that something. Looks like Q isn't the only creeper."

My eyes widened. "Wait? What do you mean by that? Please do not tell her what I just said, I was merely shocked. It is not that I spend an excessive amount of time thinking about her, or watching her, or anything of the—"

"—Jeeze, chill Berry!" She snapped interrupting me.

Nodding my head I closed my lips tightly, still embarrassed by what I had admitted, as well as embarrassed by my defensiveness. _'Puck said she liked women though, so she probably doesn't mind… At least I hope not… what if she likes Quinn?' _Pushing all of these conflicting and confusing thoughts to the back of my mind, I tried to focus on what had happened at the dormitory. Not that it was any less confusing.

Again I found myself remembering the night and those creatures attacking me. "What were those creatures?" I whispered.

Santana seemed to be thrown off by the random change of subject, but she caught on quickly. "Oh, you mean the Shadows?"

I nodded my head.

"They are kind of like demons, they are our enemy. They are what we are fighting against. That power that you used, we call it "Persona." We'll explain everything later."

"That would be much appreciated, I am rather confused." I said with a bright smile and a light chuckle.

She laughed. "Totally understandable. Oh and Berry, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about all of this before. I'm kind of like you."

"You mean that you have powers similar to mine? Unless you were truly attempting to commit suicide, I already caught on to—"

"No, I mean that I am alone. My dad died in an accident when I was little, and my mom and me aren't exactly on great terms. You're alone too right?"

My brown eyes widened as Santana opened up to me, I was shocked that she was opening up to me and also that she seemed to know about my past. About my parents' accident. How and why did she know that? "Yes, I am."

"To be honest, I already know about your past. But, it didn't seem fair that I knew so much about you, so I wanted you to know about mine."

"Thank you for opening up to me, Santana."

"Oh please, don't make this into something it's not Berry. I was just evening the playing field." It was obvious to me that she was saying that it wasn't a big deal, whilst meaning something completely different. She had wanted to tell someone, and she told me. Most likely because she knew that I could relate. _'Although I still do not understand how she knows about my parents…' _

"Anyway, I'm gonna get going. I'll let the others know you woke up. Take it easy." With that she started toward the door, leaving me there with an overwhelming amount of things on my mind.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

A few hours after Santana's visit, the hospital had allowed me to leave. None of my other dorm-mates had come to visit me. Of course I was a bit disappointed by this, but I had not expected them to visit either. Now I was back at the dormitory laying in my single-sized bed, staring up at the ceiling, and listening to music and singing along with it. Singing was my passion; it was my main goal in life. After high school I wanted to become a famous singer.

An abrupt knocking on my door jolted me out of the zone that I often got into whilst singing. Moving from my bed I made my way toward the door, curious as to who it could be. It was getting rather late. _'Probably just Santana here to pretend that she doesn't care about me, whilst secretly checking on me…' _I smiled at the thought.

I was genuinely surprised when it was not the Latina, and completely astonished to find that it was Quinn. Hastily my calm demeanor changed to one of nervous shyness. I was not proud of how I acted when I was in her presence, but I could not will myself to act differently.

"Um, hello Quinn." I mumbled, unable to meet her gaze as a blush covered my cheeks. Instead I found myself staring at that long perfect neck and imagining—_'No! Rachel! No!' _I internally chastised myself.

Luckily she appeared to be as nervous as I myself was. "Hello Rachel." She said, leaving me to stand there and awkwardly attempt to start a conversation. Usually that was no problem for me, but right now I couldn't find my voice.

Biting down on my bottom lip, I finally glanced up at her and said the only thing that I could think to. "Was there something that you needed?"

Now that I was looking at her, I realized that she was wearing a blush that undoubtedly matched my own; I found that it was adorable. She was so pale that it was very dark along her high-cheekbones and down her long neck. A smile formed on my full lips realizing that it had taken her a moment to comprehend what I had said and think about a response, and as her hazel eyes met my large brown I nearly fainted. _'Okay… probably being overdramatic but my god… her eyes are… wow…'_

"I just wanted to see how you were fairing after your accident." Her voice was slow and deliberate, I could tell that she was being genuine with her words and it caused my heart to pound quickly.

'_She actually came to check on me… because she was worried? Oh god, maybe what Santana was saying wasn't just teasing after all… Maybe Quinn actually could like me? Rachel, don't get ahead of yourself… She is probably just being nice.' _"Aw, you are checking up on me Quinn?" I teased, watching amusedly as the blush deepened.

She broke eye-contact now, coughing into her hand. "Well, yes. You were hurt and I was checking up on you. Is that a problem?"

Sensing her defensiveness, I quickly tried to alleviate it and show her how much I actually appreciated what she had done. "No, of course not Quinn." Pausing I moved just a step closer, twisting my head a little so that I could see her eyes. "In fact, I find it rather sweet of you, and I am genuinely appreciative." Standing back up straight I added. "Also, I am fairing quite nicely, all things considered."

After a few moments she looked back at me, the blush had for the most part disappeared. "I am relieved to hear that. I was worried."

I smiled brightly to try and cheer her up, she always looked so sad. "I am fine Quinn, but thank you so much for checking on me. It means the world to me."

"No need to thank me." Quinn said, offering me a small smile. "I should probably get going."

I nodded, understandingly. And then she was gone.

My heart was still thudding so violently against my chest that I was terrified it would break my ribcage, but I could finally let out the breath that I had apparently been holding. Falling back onto the bed I allowed a large, more than likely cheesy, smile to spread across my face as I squealed out. It had taken a concussion, but I finally got Quinn to talk to me.

4/18/09 –Japan

Arriving at my first class, I could not help but smile brightly. I was still on a high from my talk with Quinn. I had slept better than ever the night prior, despite my nightmares. Immediately upon entering the classroom I was met by Santana.

"Morning."

"Good morning, Santana." I responded with a bright grin.

"Considering you were just practically in a coma you seem to be doing pretty damn well." She noted, with a suspicious look on her face. This caused me to blush. How did she always seem to read through me? She couldn't possibly know that it was because of—"

"—Quinn's visit must of really cheered you up." She smirked mischievously.

Confusion crossed my face. "How did you know about that?"

"I have my ways."

"Are you stalking me Santana? I mean, I knew that you were interested in women, but I did not think that I was your type." I teased, knowing that it would bother her. I loved picking on her, almost as much as she loved picking on me. I was grateful for her friendship.

"What? Hell nah! I am way more into tall blondes, not brunette midgets."

I was unable to suppress the jealousy that I felt, and I knew that she could see it as my body shook and my heart raced. All of a sudden I felt sick to my stomach. _'Does that mean that Santana does like Quinn…? Rachel calm down, she isn't yours or anything, and Santana is a friend…'_

"Oh jeeze, calm your tits Berry. I wasn't talking about Q. She is all yours. I just meant in general." She rolled her brown eyes.

I let out a breath of relief, lifting a hand to my chest. "Thank goodness."

"Yeah, anyway, not to add this to your worries, but Mr. Schuester wants to talk to you today."

"What does he wish to speak to me about?" I asked, but I had a feeling that I already knew the answer to the question. Her look told me that I definitely did.

"You already know." I nodded. "Just meet us at the fourth floor of the dorm after school, okay? Don't forget."

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

Arriving at the dormitory I looked around the main lobby, it was completely empty. This was a common occurrence, but tonight was different, I could feel it. Throughout the school day I had been thinking over what Santana had told me, and it seemed to cancel out my happiness from the conversation with Quinn. I was curious to understand more, of course, but also terrified to know more.

Moving toward the stairs I started up them. She had told me to meet him on the fourth floor, until today I had never been past the second floor. Just at the top of the staircase, where the fourth floor began, Santana was waiting for me.

"There you are! People have been waiting!"

"I apologize; I decided to collect all of the homework that I had missed after my final class so that I could get caught up."

"Of course you did." She laughed, leading me toward a room I was unfamiliar with. "Come on." Opening the door, Santana allowed me to enter first. My eyes widened as I was met by all of my other dorm-mates, surrounded by computer monitors displaying all areas of the city and dormitory. Quinn, Sam, and Will, were all seated at a round table in the center of the room, on the table there was a briefcase. I furrowed my brow and bit down on my full bottom lip as I stared at the briefcase, suddenly wishing that I had X-ray vision in order to see what was inside.

"Ah, there you are." Will greeted with a smile, a smile that I did not trust. "I am glad that you are okay."

I cautiously walked closer to the table, still unsure if I should be seated or not. This was strange. It was almost as if they were about to give me an intervention for a drug addiction, at least on television this is what it looked like. Obviously, I knew that wasn't the case, but this was still odd.

"The reason I asked you here, is because I needed to talk to you. Please have a seat."

Doing as I was told I sat down across from him. My eyes wandered to Quinn, but she immediately looked away when I looked in her direction. _'Hm… Strange...' _I did not say anything, merely awaited his explanation for the meeting.

"Okay." He started, crossing his hands and leaning his chin against them. My eyes landed on his. "Let me start off by asking you this. Would you believe me, if I said that a day consists of more than 24 hours?"

It sounded as though it was a trick question, but it couldn't be, could it? There were only 24 hours in a day. "Of course not, that would be quite the silly statement considering that there are 24 hours in a day." I muttered, noticing the smirk that appeared on Quinn's pink lips from out of the side of my eye. I wondered if she was smiling at my supposed ignorance, or smiling because she found my assured self-confidence appealing. Either way, it was a smile.

I took a moment to look around at all of them, and I noticed that they were all smiling. "Is there something I am missing, because I am fairly certain that I am correct in this affirmation."

Quinn chuckled under her breath and this caught my attention, I snapped my head in her direction watching as her amused hazel eyes shimmered. "I am not surprised by your reaction, I was the same way." She stated. "However, you have already experienced the truth firsthand."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember the night that you came here?" I nodded firmly at the question; I could remember it vividly to this day. It had been terrifying. "You had to have noticed the signs. The streetlights went out, nothing was working, there were coffins everywhere. Didn't you feel like you were in a different time?"

For a moment I was genuinely astounded that she knew what I had seen, did that make it a reality and not a dream? Did that mean that she had seen similar apparitions? "I am uncertain I would describe it that way. It felt more like a dream to me, a different world altogether." I admitted.

"Understandable." Quinn responded. "That is the Dark Hour—a time period hidden between one day and the next."

This served to further confuse me, how could there be an extra hour between one day and the next that no one aside from us was aware of? How could any of this be possible? "What do you mean when you say that it is hidden?"

Will interrupted the blonde, to my disappointed. I loved hearing her voice, it was definitely unique. "I guess it is more like something people aren't aware of. But, the Dark Hour does exist. It occurs each night, as the clock strikes twelve."

"I don't really understand." I said, defeated. I hated feeling like I was the only one who did not comprehend what was going on.

Will smiled at me. "I know how you feel. Who would believe such a story? But, the Dark Hour occurs each night. It will happen tonight, and every night to come."

"Normal folks don't realize it, since they're all sleeping inside their coffins." Sam added, probably trying to help me grasp the concept. "But, that's not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting, you saw those creatures right?"

"Yes, I did."

"We call them "shadows." They only appear during the Dark Hour, and they attack anyone not in a coffin. It's our job to kill them. Exciting, huh?" He asked and he legitimately appeared thrilled at the concept of risking his life in order to kill these creatures. Perhaps it was a hero-complex, but it looked more like a death-wish. Sam was definitely intrigued by fighting. I was not. I exorcised to keep in shape and healthy in order to achieve my dreams, not in order to kill monsters in an unknown hour.

Quinn glared in Sam's direction, the young man shrugging his shoulders and giving her a lopsided grin. Hazel eyes then made their way to me. "The aim is not to get yourself injured." I felt as if those words may have pertained the most to me, and it made me blush slightly.

Santana's words did not help. "Yeah, Q would probably die if anything happened to you, who would she watch sleep?"

"Santana." The blonde growled out under her breath. It should have been terrifying but I found myself growing aroused by the way that her voice sounded. Now I was certain that my entire face was painted a dark red as I glanced down at my lap, fiddling with my hands uncomfortably.

"Now, now. Everybody calm down." Will mediated between us all, causing everyone to stop speaking. Then he peered back across the table at me. "Long story short, we're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad—SEES for short. On paper, we're classified as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows. Quinn is the leader and I am the club advisor."

It did not surprise me that Quinn was the leader of the group, out of Sam, Santana, and herself, she seemed the most level-headed and collected. At least from what I had seen so far. Not to mention she was nearly scary with her assertiveness.

"What do these shadows do? Why are we fighting them?" I thought aloud, eyebrows knit together.

"A Shadow feeds on the mind of its prey; the victim becomes a living corpse. These creatures are responsible for most of the incidents you hear around school and on the news, if not all of them." Quinn informed me. I could now understand the conversation that the two gossiping girls had been having; they were talking about these people who had literally lost their minds. That was horrible. No wonder we had to fight them.

"That is horrifying, no wonder you choose to fight them." I said, still staring directly at Quinn. "How do you defeat them?"

Will took over the conversation once more. "Although rare, there are those who can function during the Dark Hour. Some may even awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows. That's "Persona"—the power you used the other night. The Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users. Which means the likelihood of all other humans is up to you guys."

That was a lot to take in. The weight of the entire human race was in our hands, on my shoulders? I was Rachel Berry, always up for a challenge, but this challenge seemed far too impossible for even me.

"I see. That sounds like a rather tough responsibility for us to take on, but it does sound necessary."

"I'm glad you're quick to understand." Will said.

Quinn moved to a standing position and my eyes focused in on her, I tried to only watch what she was doing, but I got slightly distracted by her beauty. I had never seen anyone who looked like her. The way that her long sleeved white collared shirt clung to her upper body, and her black skirt revealed a small expanse of her pale thighs. Noticing that she was opening the briefcase I forced my eyes away from her and onto the case. Inside there was a gun like the one that Santana had the other night.

"What he's trying to say is." The beautiful blonde stretched her words as she reached into the briefcase taking out the gun, handing it to me. "We want you to join us. We've prepared an evoker for you. We'd like you to lend us your strength, Rachel."

Our eyes met and I was lost, gone, I could not say no. I wanted to do anything in order to help this woman, in order to keep her happy and smiling. Nodding my head I agreed to join them reaching out and taking the gun from her. My body heating immediately at the slight contact our hands made, I wished that I could linger longer, but I did not dare do so. Pulling my hand away I held the gun, realizing that it felt as if it had been molded perfectly for my hand.

Quinn smiled. "Thank you, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. You can always come to my room and talk with me."

My head snapped up and I was now blushing brightly. _'Oh my god, did she just invite me back to her bedroom… invite me to go to her bedroom at any time?' _

"Did you hear that Berry? Q wants you to come by her room later tonight." Santana said from her chair, winking in my direction.

"Shut up, Santana." Quinn once again growled out and I felt myself nearly go weak at the knees. All of this was far too overwhelming. The blonde quickly tried to alleviate the situation. "That is not how I meant it Rachel, I just meant—"

"—It is alright, Quinn." I said, lifting my chin up high, finding my inner-confidence. "I may just have to take you up on that offer." Flashing her a smirk, it was her turn to blush brightly as she returned to her seat. Glaring over at Santana who looked down right smug. I hated to admit it, but even I felt a little smug, causing someone so strong and intimidating to react in such a manner.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

"Hi, how are you." A familiar high-pitched voice sang out through the darkness of my nightmare, suddenly I was in my room again. Waking up in my single-bed, but I was not alone in the room, the lighting around us was dim and almost fuzzy. I must still be dreaming, or in the Dark Hour, I supposed.

Hearing an eerie chuckle I glanced to the right of me, seeing that same boy with the pale skin and the clear blue eyes from my day of arrival at the dormitory. He was sitting on the edge of the bed.

Sitting up in the bed I held the covers over myself and backed up against the headboard. "This is an invasion of my privacy, how did you get in here?"

His smile stretched clear across his face. "I am always with you." I did not say anything in response to this; my heart was hammering away in my chest as I tried to decipher his words to no avail. How was he always with me? I had only seen him three times before. His smile continued to stretch; I feared it would consume him entirely. "Soon, the end will come. I remembered, so I thought I should tell you."

"The end? The end of what exactly?"

His laughter echoed off of the walls. "The end of everything. But to be honest, I don't really know what it is."

I grew terrified now. "You mean that the apocalypse is coming?"

He ignored my question entirely. "It looks like you have awakened to your power. An unusual power it is. A power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none… It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up." With that he disappeared, and then in a flash he had reappeared in front of the door to my dorm room. Placing a hand on the doorknob he looked at me over his shoulder. "Do you remember when we first met?"

All that I could think to do at this point was nod.

"I expect you to honor your commitment. I'll be watching you, even if you forget about me." He turned back to the door. "See you later."

Then he vanished.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

Authors Note

I got quite a few more reviews last time, so I decided to update quickly. This chapter is only slightly longer than the last, but I wanted to leave it at a cliffhanger.

If you want to read more than send me some reviews, I love getting feedback. It really does help me continue adding chapters. If I get enough reviews, I will make the next chapter twice as long as this one. ;p

Regardless, I am glad that you are all enjoying this story. I thank each and every one of you.

You all are perfect.


	4. Tartarus

The Midnight Hour

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creator of Glee and Persona 3.

Pairing: Rachel/Quinn

Rating: M

Chapter 4

Tartarus

4/19/09 –Japan

Music was playing fairly quietly in my room, for I did not wish to bother anyone else in the dormitory. I was currently singing into my pink hairbrush, watching myself in the mirror, as I danced around my bedroom. It was something that I had done since a very young age; I had always wanted to be a singer.

"Berry! Get your ass down here!" Santana shouted from the first floor, causing my eyes to widen as I let out a squeak and dropped my hairbrush "microphone" to the ground.

"Hurry up!" I heard her shout again, and I could tell that it was something important. Quickly, I picked up my brush, running it through my hair to make sure that I looked presentable, before placing it back on top of my dresser where it belonged. There was a good chance that Quinn could be downstairs, and I had to look my best for her. She probably looked amazing even at six in the morning.

Rushing down the stairs, I approached the lobby. Standing in the lobby, beside the front door, were Santana and Sam.

"Okay, she's here now. So what is this all about?" Santana asked the young blonde man, not seeming all too interested in actually finding out.

"There's someone I wanna introduce you guys too." Sam said with a huge grin, and for the first time I really noticed just how large and feminine his lips were. It made him seem less intimidating, despite his attempt to seem like a fighter, they were sort of adorable. "Dude, hurry up!" He shouted at the door.

I recognized the voice on the other side of the door instantly. "Just a second dude, this is freakin' heavy!" The door opening only seemed to confirm my suspicions. Standing in front of us was Puck, wearing a smirk and carrying a few suitcases.

"Puck?" Santana asked, crossing her arms. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"This is Noah Puckerman from Class 2-F. He'll be staying here, as of today." Sam announced, to the Latina's apparent disappointment.

"What's up, my lady lovin' ladies? Happy to see that Puckzilla's moving in?"

"I wouldn't describe it that way." Santana responded rolling her brown eyes at him, as she looked toward Sam. "Why is he staying here?"

"I bumped into him the other night. He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently. I told him about us, and he agreed to help." He informed her with a shrug of his shoulders. "He seemed like a pretty cool guy, so why not? We can use all the help we can get."

Santana looked back to puck. "Seriously? You have the potential?

"Of course I've got the potential." He stated with a smirk.

"Yeah, found this guy crying like a baby at a convenience store, surrounded by coffins."

I lifted a hand to my lips, chuckling softly into it. I tried to be respectful, knowing that he would probably grow defensive. Still, seeing the way that he threw his hands up and got upset with Sam was comical.

"Dude, you said that happens with everyone in the beginning!" He shouted before turning to look at Santana and me. "It happened with you guys too, right?"

Santana was not as kind about her laughter, and she completely burst out into a fit. "Oh my god, I bet that was hilarious. You're alone on that one, I mean I was scared and all, but I didn't cry, and Berry over here kicked some major ass."

"Aw man, really?" He asked defeated, I felt horrible.

Chewing on my full bottom lip I tried to return some of his pride. "Well, I would not say that I completely kicked—"

"—She fucking tore apart one huge Shadow and three small ones in like thirty seconds. She kicked ass, she just cares too much to hurt you."

"Big deal, it happens to everyone else." Puck said with a shrug of his shoulders and a smile. He truthfully appeared to believe his words, I was happy about this. There was no reason to make him feel worse about an embarrassing situation. Santana seemed to enjoy hurting people's feelings, but deep down I really did believe that was a defense mechanism. A way to stop her from caring too much or showing that she cares.

"Well, enough with the introductions. I think we're about ready—" Sam started.

"Oh, we're gonna go do something? Sweet!" The other man piped in enthusiastically.

"Yeah, with this many people, we should be able to start exploring that place." The blonde stated with an excited grin. I wondered what place he was talking about. I had a feeling I would not be as excited as he was.

"You mean Tartarus?" Santana asked.

"Tartarus? The hell is that? Some kinda toothpaste 'cause that really isn't all that exciting—" Puck started.

"—it's the place we believe we will find answers about the Dark Hour." Sam interrupted. "The Chairman will give us the details tomorrow night, so just be ready for anything you guys."

4/20/09 –Japan

Arriving early to my first class I handed my teacher the homework that I had to make up, which she thanked me for, before moving to take my seat at the front of the classroom. I always sat in the front of the classroom. Even in Kindergarten. It was the best place in the classroom as far as I was concerned, I could see the board efficiently, and hear the instructor perfectly.

Today, our lesson focused around the history of Kanji and language. Most would find this boring. In fact most of the other students did. As I allowed my large brown eyes to look to my left I witnessed Santana leaning her head against her hand, doodling in her notebook. Behind me, Puck was sleeping. I was thoroughly intrigued, I loved to learn. Not to mention, I needed a perfect GPA in order to secure myself in the vocal school of my choosing.

After lecture had finished, Puck and Santana both made their way toward me. Surrounding my desk as I packed my books into my shoulder bag. "Man, that lecture was so freaking boring, I thought I was gonna fall asleep." Santana said.

"Yeah, I fucking hate Algebra." Puck stated with a yawn.

My eyes widened as I looked up at him, standing from my chair and pulling my bag over my shoulder. "You mean History, correct?"

"What?" He looked around frantically. "I didn't even know I was taking History this semester."

"My goodness Noah, you should really start to participate in class. Aren't you worried that your grades will suffer?" I wondered as I turned to face them, smiling brightly. It was nice to have actual friends at this school. I could still remember my previous school; the students would call me names and throw ice-cold beverages and eggs at me throughout the day.

"What? Nah. School's not really my thing."

Suddenly my senses were assaulted by a familiar scent, and I could feel my body tense as I felt a warmth surface close to me. Vanilla and strawberries, it was delicious, and it was most definitely—"

"—Can I have a minute?" Quinn's voice asked, it was low and raspy and so close to my ear. It drove me insane. A light blush covered my cheeks which I was well aware both Puck and Santana saw, which served to further embarrass me. Coughing, I tried to force the blush from my tan skin as I turned on my heels and met that perfect face. She was close to me, but there was a good distance between our bodies.

Our eyes met and my breath caught in my throat, she was so intimidatingly beautiful. Everything about her was stunning. "Come to the lounge when you get back to the dorm." Quinn muttered, her eyes locked to mine intensely.

Glancing away she peered at the others over my shoulder and I felt my heart settle a little. "I have something that I need to tell everyone. I'll save the details for later. See you there." Once again her eyes landed on mine, and I could have sworn that she even flashed me a small smile, but with that she had disappeared.

"Wow, she didn't waste any time gettin' outa here." Puck said aloud what I myself was thinking. Quinn seemed to be very standoffish when it came to socializing.

"That's Q for ya. She's probably off to Student Council or somethin' like that. She is always too busy for a relationship or having any fun."

"Sucks for you Rach." He said with a smirk.

Blushing brightly, I looked up at him. "Wh-what do you mean by that?"

"You've obviously got a lady boner for Miss Fabray—"

"—I do not!"

"Don't even try and deny it, a blind man could see it Berry. When she comes around, you're like a cat in heat." Santana said, laughing.

My eyebrows knit together and my face scrunched up in disgust at her description of me. "As pleased as I am to have friends at this school, I am nearly positive that I found the two most vulgar people to become acquainted with." Letting out a soft sigh I leant against my desk shrugging my shoulders. "Alright, perhaps I have a small crush on Quinn, but that is all that I would describe it as."

"Well, I would describe it as impossible." Puck said.

"Why would you describe it as such?"

"Look, I've been trying to hook up with Quinn pretty much since the first day that I saw her, but that girl is one uptight rich bitch." When I glared at him, he lifted his hands defensively. "Calm down, I'm not sayin' that's a bad thing, she's just kinda a prude. She doesn't sleep with anyone, or really date anyone; she just is always focusing on being the top of her class and the best at everything she does. She is probably where they got that phrase "hard to get."

Now, I was feeling extremely deflated, my ego bruised severely. Things had been crazy since I had arrived in the new city, but the one positive aside from my friends had been hoping to get closer to Quinn. Now that seemed near impossible.

"Don't listen to him Berry. Yeah, it's true. Q can be a royal bitch, but she also has a softer side, and I think she actually might like you."

My eyes lit up and a smile spread across my face, reaching from one ear to the other. "You really think so Santana?"

"Jeeze, you seriously need to get control over your emotions."

"Sorry." I whispered out.

"It's cool. And yeah, I think that she likes you, I have no clue why she would like you, but she does."

This comment seemed to return my determination, and I suddenly had a mission. It was not simply something that I wanted; it was something that I would achieve. I would get Quinn Fabray to go out on a date with me. I would impress her and I would make her fall in love with me.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

"Okay, everybody's here. I'd like your undivided attention." Will said from the front of the table we were all seated at. I tried to focus my complete attention on him, but my mind was currently on a certain blonde beauty and how I was going to ask her out on a date with me. I had many ideas, but I usually preferred the straightforward and direct approach, so I was leaning toward simply going to her room and asking her later.

"A long time ago, Quinn and Sam were the only Persona-users that we had. But, that number recently jumped to five. Therefore, starting tonight at 12:00AM, I'd like to commence the exploration of Tartarus."

"I asked this yesterday, but what the hell is this Tartarus thing?" Puck questioned. I too was curious to know the answer.

Will smiled at us all, and again he made me feel uneasy. I believed that I was a little bit psychic, and that I could read people and this man was giving me terrible vibes. "Good question Puck. It's the perfect place for us to train for battle. You can think of it as a Shadow nest."

"Their nest, huh? Awesome."

Looking toward Puck I was shocked to see that he genuinely appeared excited to go into the nest of Shadows, I myself was terrified. These creatures had knocked me out the last time that I had battled them, and now I was going to rush into a group of them with my closest friends? Regardless, I knew that we had to do it. We were the only ones who could protect the human race from having their minds drained.

"This sounds a bit dangerous." I inquired, quickly feeling eyes on me from every direction. Most were disbelieving. Apparently, I was the only one who was slightly worried for the safety of the team.

"Don't worry Berry, Q will protect you." Santana teased, causing a familiar blush to taint my cheeks.

"As much as I would appreciate that—"

"—I will protect you Rachel." Quinn interrupted me. My head immediately snapped in her direction, shock apparent all over my face, as I caught hazel eyes through long lashes. My face was more than likely completely red now and my entire body had heated up. Heart pounding hastily, I forgot how to breathe. The others around me were just as surprised as I was.

"Thank you, Quinn." I finally managed to say under my breath.

She did not respond, merely looked back to Will. "We should start the mission."

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

Authors Note

I hope that you all enjoy this chapter… Didn't get many reviews, please do leave me some encouragement if you want to see more of this story!


	5. Student Council President

The Midnight Hour

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creator of Glee and Persona 3.

Pairing: Rachel/Quinn

Rating: M

Chapter 5

Student Council President

They lead us to the school gate, and I was surprised. A supposed "Shadows Nest" was located at our school? During the day it was an ordinary school building, and at night it was what exactly?

"I know that school sucks and all, but really, the nest is here?" Puck asked.

"Just wait a few minutes and you will see." Sam said with a smile. His green eyes glancing toward the watch that he was wearing. "It's almost midnight. Just a few more seconds—"

He was cut off midsentence as the large clock in the center of the city chimed midnight, suddenly everything around us changed. The air was stale and dark, the people were encased in coffins, the moon was a bright ominous green, but the biggest change was definitely the school. My brown eyes widened in shock as I watched a huge tower arise from the center of the school grounds, it stretched up toward the sky. So high, that I doubted it could be physically constructed by any man on the earth currently.

I followed the others as we moved inside the gates, toward the front of the tower. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, and I was finding it difficult to breath. Even though I would not allow myself to show it, I was terrified. Walking closely to Quinn, I hoped that she would protect me as she had said beforehand.

"This is Tartarus—the labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour." Quinn stated in a monotone voice, she appeared to have complete control over her nerves. She did not look nervous in the least. It was admirable.

"What the hell happened to our school?" Puck questioned as we entered the tower.

Hazel eyes glanced to the side in order to meet his and she shrugged her shoulders. "We don't really know all of the details. All that we know is that it appears in the Dark Hour and that once the Dark Hour passes, everything returns to normal."

"So you don't understand what's going on either?"

"…No." Quinn muttered, and I could tell that she hated it. She seemed like someone who liked to be in control.

Santana took the initiative to interrupt the conversation. "Who cares anyway, it's not like it would stop us from fighting."

"Well, maybe now we will find out more." Sam said eagerly. "Quinn and I have only gone in and taken a peek; this will be our first time actually gettin' to explore it! Exciting isn't it? There's gotta be some clues in here about the Dark Hour!"

"Sam, whilst I respect your enthusiasm. You are still injured from the other night, and you won't be accompanying us tonight." Quinn informed.

His face immediately fell and a pout formed on his full lips, he definitely was not happy about the news. It was sort of cute how badly he wanted to go on an "adventure" into the tower; I personally would have preferred to sit out.

"Yeah, yeah, I already know Quinn, ya don't got to keep on reminding me." His eyes trailed us as we all headed into the tower, excluding Quinn, she had to stay back and keep watch. I was disappointed, when she had said that she were going to protect me, I had expected her jumping in front of me in a heroic attempt to save my life. Not watching from the sidelines and coaching me through the battle. Regardless, I was prepared to fight.

As we walked through the main hallway of the tower we came to two large doors, inside was a circular room. All that the room consisted of was a tall staircase leading up. I assumed that would be the way into the tower.

"This is the only entrance. The labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs." Quinn told us.

"You guys don't wanna go too high up on your first night, so just go to the first floor and take a look around. Test the waters and such." Sam said, his words did little to comfort my nerves. If the higher floors were a challenge to him, then I had to expect the worst. How high did this tower go anyway? How high did we have to go?

"Seriously? You guys are the strongest people on our team and you are sending us up there alone?" Santana asked, obviously using frustration to cover her fear.

"We're not asking that you go very far, and I will be feeding you information from here." The blonde woman said, her hazel eyes suddenly landing on me. They appeared to hold encouragement and confidence. I was probably reading too far into it though; I had a tendency to do that.

"Yeah, we're also gonna appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions." Sam said with a nod of his head.

"For real? One of us?" Puck asked, his eyes shining with excitement. "Dude, I should totally be the leader, I mean come on hands down."

Sam completely ignored him and looked me directly in the eyes, as if he were testing me with his stare. After a few moments of intensely staring back into his green eyes he spoke up. "You're in charge, Rachel."

"Wait? What? Why the hell'd you choose her?" Puck asked. I knew that it was nothing personal against me; he had just wanted to be leader and was upset.

Santana defended me, her voice soaked in sarcasm. "Maybe 'cause she has actually fought them before, instead of whining on the floor like a man-child."

Santana, Sam, and myself laughed as the other man grew agitated with the reasoning. Quickly Sam silenced us though, with an explanation for choosing me. _'Aside from the reason that Santana gave that is…' _I could not help but think, with a smug grin. I loved being the best at something. "No, that's not the only reason. She's got the best control of her Persona, and let's face it, without your Persona you guys will be screwed in there."

"Yeah, whatever." Puck said with a scowl that almost resembled a pout. I nudged his side with my shoulder, smiling up at him, which earned a smile from him in return.

As my team continued to talk, I was distracted by a familiar door. The door was freestanding without anything in front of it or behind it to give it substance. It was the door to the Velvet Room, no one else seemed to have noticed it randomly appearing out of thin air. Drawn to it, I walked toward the door, using my key in order to open it. None of my teammates even noticed that I was no longer with the group.

Even though it was not physically possible, the door opened into the Velvet Room. Sebastian and Holly were smiling across the room, waiting for me to join them as I had on multiple occasions now. Moving across the room I took the seat across from them.

With a grin, Sebastian cocked his head to the side, looking me over. "I have been waiting for you. The time has come for you to wield your power."

I did not say anything; I did not know what to say.

"The tower that you are about to venture into, you probably have so many questions about it. How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist? Regrettably, you are not yet capable of understanding or answering these questions. That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power."

Now I felt confused all over again, just as I thought that I was starting to comprehend what was going on, he tells me that I do not understand my power at all. "What do you mean when you say the nature of my power? Is it too, not as straightforward as it seems?"

His grin spread and he chuckled, stroking one hand over the other as his eyes watched mine closely. Sebastian was a strange man. "Your power is unique, Rachel. It is like the number zero, it is empty, but at the same time it holds infinite possibilities. You, young girl, are the only one capable of having multiple Personas."

'_Yes, I definitely am going insane. None of this exists right now…' _

"You can summon them as needed. And when you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you. There may be times when they are difficult to grasp." Sebastian paused cocking his head to the other side. "But, do not fear. Seize what you have earned. Your power will grow accordingly."

I nodded my head, despite not fully understanding what he was talking about. Honestly, I had gotten to the point that I no longer cared to grasp the entire concept, I knew what I knew, and I understood what I understood.

"My spare time will soon be scarce. But, please come again of your own accord. I will try and tell you more about my true role. Until then, farewell."

"Berry!" Santana's voice broke through the vision that I had been having, and now I realized that I was no longer in the Velvet Room, that I was still standing with my friends. Had I ever even left? "You still there?"

Snapping back to my attentive self, I nodded my head and smiled. "Yes, I am still here Santana; just a bit woozy is all." I did not mention the door, it was obvious to me that they had not seen it, speaking about it would only make me seem insane.

"If you're alright, then let's get going." Santana said with an uncertain smile.

I nodded my head, noticing that Quinn was still watching me with worried eyes. Forcing a smile onto my lips I lead the way toward the doors at the top of the stairs. Normally, I would have loved being the leader of any group or club, but this was intimidating. I had no idea what to expect.

The inside looked more like a maze than a room; it seemed to continue on forever in all different directions. "Wow, I hope that we do not get lost." I muttered.

"Can you all hear me?" A familiar voice asked over the transceiver, it caused a smile to tug at my full lips. _'I love her voice so much…'_

"Yes, we can hear you Quinn." I responded into the device. Feeling my confidence coming back full force, it was almost startling how much her voice could motivate me to do my best. I wanted to impress the beautiful blonde.

"I will be providing audio backup from here on out."

"How are you able to see inside Tartarus from the main entrance?" I wondered aloud.

"It's my Persona's ability. I would like to join you inside." She paused and I could feel my heart swell with happiness, knowing that she wanted to be inside of Tartarus with me. Her earlier words returned to mind, she had said she wanted to protect me. "But, the structure changes from day to day, so outside support is imperative."

I smiled. "Well, we thank you immensely for your support." I placed a hand on the gun that I had been given and prepared myself for whatever was to come. "What way do you recommend that we go from here?"

"Based on your current location, you can expect to encounter enemies at any minute. They shouldn't be too tough, but proceed with caution. See if you can eliminate all of the Shadows on the first floor."

"Alright Quinn, we will give it our all."

"Oh and Rachel." Quinn said in a softer tone.

"Yes?"

"Please, be careful."

O

I was Rachel Berry, and I was always up for a challenge, but some of the creatures that I had witnessed inside of Tartarus had looked like they came directly out of a nightmare. They came in all shapes and sizes, some with magical powers and others with mere brute force, all of them could have easily killed any one of us. It was terrifying, and as I made my way back down those stares toward Quinn and Sam, my confidence was shaken. I did not know if I was strong enough to handle all of this emotionally and physically.

"Welcome back." Quinn said with a bright smile, she looked so proud and that was almost enough to cause me to reevaluate the situation. Maybe it would be worth it to not give up, if it meant seeing that smile. Causing that smile. "So, how was it?"

"Truthfully?" I asked.

She nodded her head encouragingly.

"It was terrifying." I said looking away from her hazel eyes, not able to meet them when I admitted defeat. "I am usually prepared for a challenge, I encourage it even, but this was so difficult and I really am not prepared to die. I have to focus this year on my grades and school and achieving my dreams, and now I have pretty much the weight of the world on my shoulders as well, it is overwhelming."

"You can't get discouraged Rachel, you will get used to it. I promise." Quinn said with a reassuring smile, her attention directly on me when she said it. It made me feel that it was true. This woman could probably promise me anything though, and I would believe her.

"I certainly hope so."

"You will." She stated confidently, she had more confidence in me than I myself. Perhaps she knew more than I did.

4/21/09

I was currently seated in the auditorium with my class, trying my hardest to be completely attentive, but it was proving to be exceedingly difficult with the tone of voice the speaker was using. His voice was completely monotone, he quite literally sounded like a robot. In fact on multiple occasions I had concocted that the Japanese government had built him in order to speak to us and bore us to death.

"That concludes the main portion of today's assembly." I let out a sigh of relief. "Next, we will hear a word from the Student Council President. Please welcome, Quinn Fabray."

"Thank you." Quinn spoke out, her voice deep and as beautiful as always.

This immediately caught my attention and I perked up like a dog receiving attention, it was Quinn. Of course she would be the Student Council President; she was absolutely perfect in every single way. My brown eyes widened as I watched her step in front of the podium, pulling my full bottom lip between my teeth as I tried to focus on what she was saying as opposed to how amazing her uniform fit her.

"She's the student class president?" I wondered aloud, realizing that this made Santana a little bit hostile. She seemed jealous.

"Yeah, she's pretty much the most popular girl in school."

"You can say that again!" Puck added which earned an elbow to his ribs. Obviously, Santana held some sort of resentment toward Quinn's popularity, but I could also tell that she loved her dearly. They were close friends. That made me a little bit jealous again at the thought, and my stomach turned uncomfortably.

The stunning blonde began her speech, leaning down in order to speak into the microphone. "As I begin my term as Student Council President, I'd like to share with you my vision for this coming year. It is my firm belief that each of us must accept the responsibility of bettering our school. However, change cannot occur without sustained effort and an unprecedented level of commitment. That is why we must restructure our daily lives to accommodate this lofty goal." Pausing hazel eyes focused in on me and my breath caught.

'_Is she staring at me…? Rachel, concentrate on what she is saying, it is probably important!'_

"I'd like each of you to dig deeply, into your well of motivation, and re-evaluate your convictions. To imagine a bold new future, without losing sight of the realities around you. That is the key. I am certain that many of you have your own visions of the future, for us to reap the full benefits of our education, your participation, ideas, and enthusiasm are essential. Thank you."

With that she flashed the entire room a small pink smile before backing away from the podium and bowing slightly. Her face had remained for the most part void of emotions, but I was for some reason drawn to her. The loud applause did not even faze me as I stared.

"Dude, she is awesome." Puck said with a smirk before looking over at me. "Do you have any idea what any of that meant though?"

"For the most part, although I was a bit distracted, I must admit." I said, feeling the blush cover my naturally tan skin. Knowing how he would take it, he always took things the wrong way.

Laughing he nudged my side with his shoulder. "Ah-ha, I bet you were Berry."

"Oh, be quiet Noah." I bit back.

"Anyhow, I don't got a clue what the hell she was sayin', don't sound like anything a normal high-schooler would say."

I had spent the majority of my school day thinking about how beautiful Quinn had looked during her speech, how perfect that button up blouse looked on her form, how I wanted to unbutton it and see what she tried so hard to cover from the world around her. Quinn was a very closed individual, she did not share her emotions, she did not share the side of herself that was real, and that only made her more intriguing. I wanted to know her.

Things had been hectic since my arrival, my sanity was questionable at this point, but the one thing that I knew with near certainty was that the perfect blonde did care for me more than the others. She did appear to have a slight crush on me. Honestly, I was teetering with the thought of acting on my feelings, and it was overwhelming and terrifying, but as the hours drew on and my pen inked Quinn's name into another sheet of my notebook, I knew that I needed to act on these feelings. I had never been one to run away from my emotions, I confronted them head on.

So tonight, I planned to ask Quinn Fabray out on a date. All I had to do was get through this day.

As I made my way out of the school building toward the front gate I noticed Sam was also leaving the school, the moment that he did, he was instantly surrounded by a swarm of fan-girls. They were pathetic in their swooning. Although I supposed I was probably just as pathetic when it came to Quinn, in fact disregarding genders Quinn and Sam looked a lot alike.

"Look its Sam!" One of the girls shouted.

Another said "Where? There he is!"

Sam flashed them a goofy full-lipped smile and a slightly awkward wave, but he did not actually speak with them. He appeared to be used to the attention.

Puck made his way toward me, standing directly beside me. "That Sam kid is pretty popular with the ladies, man, look at that. I didn't used to really talk to him 'cause of that gay bieber cut, but now I got a good excuse. I mean I thought chicks dug the bad-boys!"

"I assure you that many women do still like the "bad-boys" Noah." I informed which caused him to smirk. "It simply appears that most of them do not attend our school." His smile fell.

"Thanks."

"Anytime." I stated with a grin.

Sam started to make his way toward us and I noticed that his entourage followed him, screaming. It made me embarrassed for them. As he reached us he asked. "Hey, are you guys free later?"

"Hell yeah! Whatcha got in mind?" Puck asked, nodding toward a few of the young woman. They paid him no attention, to his visual disappointment. I could only laugh at this. Sometimes I felt that if Noah tried a little less he would get more women, he was definitely attractive, he was just overbearing with the flirtation.

"I wanted to meet you guys at the mall, at the police station. See ya there."

"Wait? What? Dude, you ask me to hang out and we aint even goin' out with these fine ladies? We are goin' to the damn police station?"

"These girls? I don't even know their names. I'm gonna head out, don't keep me waiting." With that Sam walked away, his fans now whining about him leaving and not being friendly enough with them. As I watched the display I almost felt sorry for the blonde, he obviously did not care for their attentions and they only found him more attractive for that.

O

Authors Note

Next chapter will have the asking out of Quinn and some more Faberry.

I cut this one short and I apologize, but I hope that you all still like it.

If you want to see the next chapter leave me some reviews!

Thank you for reading.


	6. Nervousness

The Midnight Hour

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creator of Glee and Persona 3.

Pairing: Rachel/Quinn

Rating: M

Chapter 6

Nervousness

Entering the police station, I noticed that Sam was currently speaking with a policeman standing behind the counter. Exchanging a look of confusion with Puck, we approached the young blonde man, hearing the end of his conversation.

"Thank you." He heard us approaching and turned to flash us a full-lipped smile. "Oh, these are the people I was talking about earlier."

The officer stared at Puck and I, and we stared back, not knowing what they had been talking about or how it pertained to the two of us.

"I was waiting for you guys." Sam told them, turning his attention back to the officer behind the desk. "This is Officer Ken Tanaka, he helps keep our squad well-equipped for battle and stuff, he knows about what we do so he makes sure to get us decent weapons. Oh and Quinn wanted me to give you this so that you could get some weapons." He said handing me five thousand yen.

A blush covered my cheeks and I felt my heart skip a beat at the thought of the blonde giving me anything, although deep down I knew that this was not a gift, this was so that I could be an asset to the team, but still. It made me smile.

"You can't fight somethin' empty-handed, so find somethin' you like." He told us. "I'll see you guys later at the dorm." With that Sam left the store.

As soon as he had left, the officer started to speak to me, drawing my attention back to the counter. "I've been informed about you two. My job is to maintain peace in this city, regardless of the circumstances. I'm just an ordinary police officer, but it doesn't take a genius to know something strange is going on here. I'm only doing what I think is right."

O

When I arrived back at the dorm, I was shocked to see that Quinn appeared to have been waiting for me. As I walked through the front door she stood from the couch and approached me. She was as stunning as always, and I found myself staring over her perfect face and down over her long neck and shoulders and then allowing my brown eyes to once again admire the way that her uniform top clung to her body.

"Welcome back. Perfect timing." Quinn spoke in a slow and deep voice. "I would like to speak to you for a moment if that is alright with you?"

I felt my heart pounding in my chest; my hands were shaking as I nodded my head. "Yes, that would be acceptable." _'I could ask her out now… if I could get the courage to do so… She is so intimidating.' _Quinn returned to the couch and I took a seat beside her, staring down at my small hands as I played with the fabric of my skirt uncomfortably.

"So, what is it that you wish to speak with me about?" I wondered.

She smiled softly and turned to look at me. "Regarding our exploration of Tartarus."

'_Oh…' _It was disappointing to say the least, I do not know what it was that I had been expecting, but it had not been that. The blonde seemed to be all business and that was admirable, I was similar in my approach to life, but it only made it all the more intimidating for me to ask her out on a date. What if she only wanted a work relationship with me? What if she did not like me in the slightest?

I felt her hazel eyes running along my face and a soft blush formed on my cheeks. "Sam is still on the mend, so for now, I would like you to lead the team. So, whenever you'd like to explore Tartarus, just let me know and I'll gather everyone there."

I nodded my head. "Alright, I am fully capable of that."

She inspected me for a moment and I continued to fiddle my fingers together, tugging my full bottom lip between my teeth as I tried to force myself to not be disappointed. "Did I say something to upset you, Rachel? I thought that you would enjoy being the leader of the group, you seem to be a very determined individual—"

"—you did not say anything wrong Quinn, I assure you. I just…" My voice trailed off and I internally berated myself for being so weak. I was always confident and strong. Not around her though.

"It's just?" Quinn questioned, raising a brow at me.

'_I wanted to ask you out to dinner with me…' _"Nothing, never mind." Turning, my brown eyes connected with hers and I forced a smile onto my lips. "I will gladly take the leadership role; in fact I would not have it any other way. Thank you for this opportunity Quinn."

I returned to my room that night after my conversation with the beautiful woman and I felt like a complete failure. Falling back onto my bed I stared up at the ceiling and thought over what had happened. I had had the perfect opportunity to ask her out on a date and I had been too scared to do so, in turn missing my chance. She and I were alone in that room together; she even asked what was on my mind.

Groaning out, I pushed myself out of bed and walked across the room to the mirror, staring at my reflection. "What is the worst that happens Rachel? She turns you down?" I asked myself, not understanding what was wrong with me. I had never been afraid of rejection to this extent before, not enough to allow it to stand in the way of my dreams.

Feeling myself growing confident, I lifted my chin and pushed my shoulders back before heading out of my dorm room and down the hallway toward the blonde's room.

My heart was racing and my skin was hot as I approached her bedroom door, but I was not going to back down. Not until I heard her tell me that she was completely uninterested in me and that she only cared about me for the strength that I contributed to the team. Large brown eyes stared through long lashes at the door for a few minutes, it felt like I was standing there for hours even, and then I finally forced my hand to move.

Balling my fingers up into a fist I lifted my shaking hand to the door in order to knock, but I then lowered it, before raising it again. And finally I allowed myself to knock softly on the door half hoping that she would not hear it and half praying that she would, because I would never muster up the strength to do this again.

I hadn't even noticed that my eyes were closed until I heard her voice. "Rachel?"

My eyes parted and my face heated up, a blush traveling along my naturally tan cheeks and shoulders as I witnessed her dressed in her pajamas. If you could call them that. She was wearing a transparent nightgown that allowed me to see through to her bra and panties, her pale toned abdomen on display for me. It was an intoxicating sight. Running my tongue along my bottom lip I forced my eyes back up to hers and tried to find my voice.

"Uh—hello Quinn, I apologize if I woke you, I just had something that I needed to speak with you about."

The blonde pushed the bedroom door open and asked if I wanted to come in, but I quickly declined, knowing that would only make the question I was about to ask all the more awkward. Who asked a woman out on a date whilst sitting in her bed with her wearing something so revealing? No one. "Actually it will only take a moment, I was just wondering…" Again my voice trailed off and I glanced away embarrassedly.

"Wondering what?" She asked amusedly with a playful smile on her lips as she leant against the door, it felt like she was intentionally showing off her body to me. Still, I forced myself to focus on her eyes.

Closing my eyes for a second I took in a deep breath and let it out, much like I did before singing in front of a large group of people. Then I opened my eyes and forced myself to ask the question that I wanted to ask. "I was wondering if perhaps you would like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night, I would pay, so you would not need to worry about that. I just am extremely intrigued by you and would really enjoy getting to know you better and—"

"—Yes, Rachel." Quinn interrupted, chuckling lightly under her breath. More than likely she was laughing at my rambling; I tended to do that when I was nervous.

It took me a moment to really comprehend that she had told me yes and then my brown eyes widened with excitement and my smile spread across my face. "Really?"

"Really." She laughed a little more.

"Alright, I will see you then." I told her with a nod as I backed away from the door, once more allowing my eyes to wander over her exposed body before blushing even brighter.

4/22/09

I arrived at the school gate in the morning, with a smile on my face. It would probably be nearly impossible for anyone to bring me down today, knowing that I would be going on a date later tonight with Quinn. We had decided upon a simple restaurant and of course we had not called it a date, so it was not officially a date, but I still was excited to be going out with the blonde.

Adjusting the strap on my shoulder bag I started into the school, only stopping to listen in on a conversation between two of my classmates. I knew that it was wrong of me to meddle in other people's conversations as often as I did, but I was too curious to ever ignore them.

"Is that special morning assembly today?" One of the girls asked her friend.

"Yeah."

"How come we're having another one? We just had one."

"What I heard is that the principal got jealous about Quinn's speech and so he actually scheduled his own speech just to compete with hers."

This caused me to smirk. Quinn's speech had been wonderful.

"Seriously? Why do we have to suffer because of his ego?"

It was probably a good thing that I had listened in on their conversation, because I had forgotten about the assembly. So, instead of heading to my first class, I headed to the auditorium and took a seat with my friends. The principal made his way onto the stage with a teacher standing beside him.

The teacher spoke. "We'll now begin this morning's assembly. First, our principal has some words he'd like to share with you. Please give him a warm welcome."

I applauded, but soon realized that I was the only one clapping and blushed softly halting the action.

"…Thank you." He spoke up into the microphone.

"What's the deal with this assembly?" Santana asked with an annoyed look on her face as she rested her chin against her hand and stared up at the principal. "You think it's 'bout the recent incidents?"

Puck shrugged his shoulders. "Dude, who the hell cares anyway? The Principal doesn't know anythin' about the Shadows, anyway. I just hope this doesn't take too long, I got a hot chick in next period who always ditches class with me."

"Well, if that's true, which I doubt it is." The Latina said with a sarcastic tone as she looked to the young man. "You best cancel; you know his speeches always drag on all damn day."

"Ahem." The principal drew our attention back to him. "Today, I'd like to tell you about my-um—vision for this school year. As you are aware, strange incidents have been reported on the news lately. It is my firm belief that none of you are involved. However, if we want to better our school, then we all need to accept responsibility for change. Dig deep down inside, and tap into your imaginations—but don't lose touch with reality. As they say. "There's no use crying over spilt milk." This is the key to reaping all the rewards that school has to offer…"

I noticed very quickly that the speech sounded familiar and as I looked over to Santana she too appeared to have noticed. "Wait a sec, doesn't that speech sound a lot like Q's?"

"Yes, you are correct…" Glancing to the blonde who was seated in a separate part of the auditorium with Sam due to them being in a higher grade, I realized that she did not look upset in the slightest. In fact she had a blank expression on her face. Then again, she almost always did. _'Except last night when I asked her out…' _The thought caused me to blush and look down at my hands, the closer it got to the date the more nervous I became.

O


End file.
